I recently purchased some of sam maloof’s oil/poly and oil/wax finishes.
The instructions are the same for both,sand to 400 then follow with 0000 wool,burnish with rag,apply product.I plan on 3-4 coats of the oil/poly,following with 1-2 coats of the oil/wax.
It seems to me that I would not need any prep for the oil/wax product,(chemical bonding ?),or very little (maybe 0000 wool).
Does anyone have experience with these products? Did you follow the instructions or develop your own system? Also,it says not to use with exotic hardwoods.What can I expect to happen if I do?
Thanks for any info, OMNI
Replies
Oil based varnishes might not dry properly (or ever) over some oily tropical hardwoods.
One thing I didn't see in your description of the instructions is a directive to fully wipe off all excess product before it sets. You can't try to build a film on the wood with either of these finish materials, the goal is a satin in-the-wood finish, which is what you see on Maloof originals.
Yes,the instructions say to remove the excess. I'm using wenge,peruvian walnut,makore,and various colors of alowood.Don't know if any of these are considered oily. I have used an oil/poly product (Daly's Profin and seafin)in the past with great results,but never chased it with a oil/wax final coat. The Profin has greater build-up than the Seafin so I'd expect Maloof's to be closer to the Seafin product. I guess that what I really need to know is what kink of bond is required between the oil/poly and the oil/wax (a mechancial or chemical bond). Thanks for your reply, OMNI
I've used the Maloof oil/wax over Maloof oil/poly on cherry. I followed the instructions on the can and had good success. I also lightly buffed with 0000 steel wool between coats (can't remember if that's in the instructions) and the finish came out extremely smooth.
Thank you for your reply,OMNI
Both of those products have a pretty high amount of raw linseed oil in them. Combining that with the BLO and the driers that are in it (the BLO) may make the Linseed oil cure quicker. I would be cautious about making sure that the finish is cured before using and between coats.
I don't really see the need for the oil/wax, especially after 3-4 coats of oil/poly. By the time you have those on you probably aren't going to get much oil to the wood. I would just wait for the oil/poly to fully cure and put a coat of furniture wax on it.
Thank you for your reply, OMNI
I think Maloof's finish was recently reviewed in FWW; didn't fare too well. Might want to check it out. What was it, 'six wipe on varnishes compared'?
Yes, I did see the review, Thanks, OMNI
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